Nearly a century after the establishment of the public relations industry, many people often ask me to explain our field and its purpose. In an effort to answer those who still wish to understand the importance of public relations in today’s business world, please allow me to introduce the “Father of Modern Public Relations,” Edward Bernays, whose career truly blazed a trail for today’s practitioners.

Although Bernays’ career spanned from the 1920’s to the 1980’s, it laid the foundation for future public relations practices worldwide. Disciples, like my mentor Hank Meyer, advanced the ideas pioneered by Bernays and adapted them to the evolving Information Age. Today, those tactics and strategies remain as relevant and effective as ever in the current Internet/Social Media Age.

In his book, The Father of Spin, Larry Tye describes how Edward Bernays influenced modern business and communications. Click here to read a summary of four principles espoused by Bernays, which should be components of every business’s public relations playbook.